Friday, October 28, 2011

Music is a big part of my creative process. Sometimes, a great song can really inspire a rhythm or tone for one of my stories. I’ve collected some tracks that have been an inspiration to me during the devolvement of “Hills of Fire" in hopes that contributing writers may find a little inspiration in them as well.

Just follow this LINK to my Spotify playlist and give them a listen. If you don't have Spotify, it's free and easy to download.

Friday, October 21, 2011

For “Hills of Fire,” I wanted action stories, but I didn’t want to do only Appalachian westerns or detective stories. I needed a genre that was big enough for authors to explore different kinds of settings, characters and problems of Appalachia.

Pulp was the obvious choice to me. Pulp is a giant genre that encompasses action, crime, western, sci-fi, mystery, fantasy and grindhouse. It’s a genre where the heroes are brave and bold, the villains are over the top, and the women can kiss or cut you in the turn of a page.

Pulp is a giant sandbox full of possibilities. Earlier pulp writers like Poe, Burroughs, Lovecraft and Hammett understood how malleable the genre could be. These early pulp writers didn’t play by the rules. Their stories broke boundaries and conventions, creating worlds and characters that couldn’t fit into traditional literature molds.

Though pulp is a wide open genre, there are a few identifiable characteristics. All pulp stories have larger than life characters. These characters are usually blue-collar and have a distinct moral code. The world they inhabit is full of danger, constantly provoking them to action. Though the landscape of the stories may change, one theme resonates, “It takes guts to change a rotten world.”

Friday, October 14, 2011

When I began doing book signings with Woodland Press, I started to notice a particular kind of customer. They were men, usually 40 to 70. Sometimes, they were veterans; wearing caps with names of battleships. Sometimes, they had long gray ponytails and mud-stained boots.

They all had calloused hands.

After looking over our table of books, they’d discuss civil war battles, or local lore concerning long dead gunslingers, but they never bought anything. These customers loved to read, they loved Appalachia, but they weren’t into horror stories.

After a while, I wondered why we didn’t have a book for them; something with characters they could relate to, like the two-fisted Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin movies my Grandfather used to show on his Betamax video player.

In the winter of 2010, with the encouragement of Brian Hatcher and Michael Knost, I pitched the idea of an “Appalachian pulp anthology” to Keith Davis at Woodland Press. My idea was simple; a book that anyone from western to noir fans could enjoy, where Appalachians are the heroes instead of the usual “inbred cannibal hillbilly” stereotype.

Keith graciously agreed.

That’s how “Hills of Fire: Bare-Knuckle Yarns of Appalachia” was born.

Over the coming weeks, I hope to continue this blog: giving updates on production, inspiring contributing writers with Appalachian culture, and much more.

I am looking for fictional pulp action stories in an Appalachian setting. Submitted stories should harken back to the square-jawed tales of Robert E. Howard, Dashiell Hammett, and Louis L'Amour. Stories can be set in any time period, but must take place in the Appalachian region.

Stories involving mountain men, moonshine runners, lawmen, heists, wrestling, soldiers, and outlaws are highly encouraged. Addition of regional history and folklore is also advised. Complex characters should be equally mixed with solid plots and high octane excitement. Submissions should avoid popular action clichés and unflattering Appalachian stereotypes.

Although the anthology is mainly targeted for adults, we DO NOT want stories containing language or content unsuitable for children.

Accepted Manuscript Formatting:
Double-spaced.
Use Times New Roman (12).
Italicize what you want italicized.
Single space after sentence-ending punctuation.
Be sure to include your name, address, and email on your manuscript.